Orange Tartlets with Lavender Meringue

Ingredients

• 4 oz confectioners' sugar for dusting plus more
• 3 large egg whites 
• 4 large egg yolks 
• 3 large eggs 
• 0.5 teaspoon lavender flowers dried whole for decoration
• 1 teaspoon ground lavender flowers dried
• 1  lemon zest 
• 1  thin-skinned orange such as valencia 
• 1 pinch salt 
• 0.3 teaspoon sea salt 
• 3.5 oz sugar 
• 10 oz unbleached flour all-purpose
• 2 oz butter unsalted room temperature

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• oven
• knife
• whisk
• wire rack
• plastic wrap
• aluminum foil
• stand mixer
• pastry bag

Directions

1. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor.
2. Add butter pieces and process until mixture resembles coarse sand.
3. Add egg yolks and process until the dough comes together. Do not overwork.Turn out dough onto a floured surface and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least two hours or up to a day.For the citrus filling:Leaving the skin on, quarter the lemon and orange and remove any seeds.
4. Place fruit, sugar and salt in food processor and process until citrus is evenly ground with sugar.
5. Add eggs and butter and process until fairly smooth.
6. Transfer to a container and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to a day.To make the tarts:Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter six 4-inch tartlet molds.
7. Roll out dough on a floured surface about 1/8 inch thick.
8. Cut out six 6-inch circles with a sharp knife and fit into the molds. Prick dough with a fork. Trim off excess pastry around the mold edges and refrigerate for 30 minutes to chill.
9. Cut six 7-inch squares of foil and line the tart shells with the foil, shiny side down. Fill molds with dry beans or pie weights.
10. Bake for 10 minutes, until dough has firmed up.
11. Remove foil and beans, and bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until shells are light golden in color.Divide citrus filling among the tarts shells and bake until custard has puffed slightly and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
12. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Leave oven on.For the meringue:While the tarts are baking, combine egg whites and salt in bowl of a stand mixer. Whip with whisk attachment on medium-low speed until frothy.Increase speed to medium and add confectioners' sugar by spoonfuls, whipping until stiff peaks form. Beat in the ground lavender.
13. Transfer meringue to pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe meringue in a rosette pattern on top of tarts.
14. Sprinkle the dried whole lavender over the tartlets.
15. Bake until meringue is browned, about 10 to 15 minutes.
16. Remove from oven and dust with more confectioners' sugar. Using tip of sharp knife, pry tartlets out of molds - they should come out easily.
17. Serve warm.